Kniphofia plant named ‘Redhot Popsicle’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Kniphofia  plant characterized by its numerous spikes of coral red flowers the first year, repeat blooming from June through September in Canby, Oreg., a compact habit with multiple crowns, narrow, grassy leaves, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Kniphofia spp.

Cultivar designation: Redhot Popsicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Kniphofia, and given the cultivar name is ‘Redhot Popsicle’. Kniphofia is in the family Asphodelaceae. ‘Redhot Popsicle’ is a hybrid resulting from a planned breeding program to produce a series of compact, reblooming Kniphofia. The cross was made using the following proprietary, unreleased plants: Kniphofia 26-1, as the seed parent, and Kniphofia 20-1, as the pollen parent. It was selected for best habit, flower color, reblooming, and crown count from many seedlings of the cross in Canby, Oreg.

Compared to Kniphofia ‘Bressingham Comet’ (an unpatented plant), the new cultivar is more free flowering with red flowers rather than yellow to red orange flowers.

Compared to Kniphofia ‘Nancy's Red’ (an unpatented plant), the new cultivar is shorter and much more free flowering.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is unique and characterized by:

-   -   1. numerous spikes of coral red flowers the first year     -   2. repeat blooming from June through September in Canby, Oreg.     -   3. compact habit with multiple crowns     -   4. narrow, grassy leaves     -   5. excellent vigor, fills a one gallon pot the first year from         tissue culture

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division, tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the new cultivar. Asexual propagation by leaf cuttings, tissue culture, and division using standard techniques as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a plant of a one-year-old Kniphofia ‘Redhot Popsicle’ in the ground in the trial field in July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Kniphofia cultivar based on observations of six-month-old specimens growing in the ground outside in part sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Rhizomatous herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 6 to 9.         -   Size.—Grows to 41 cm wide and 34 cm tall from the top of the             soil to the top of the foliage.         -   Form.—Upright and clumping. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Strap-like.         -   Arrangement.—Basal rosette.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 40 cm long and 10 mm wide.         -   Margins.—Serrulate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Clasping.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both surfaces.         -   Venation.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Top and bottom side Green 137A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Spike-like scapose raceme.         -   Number of flowers per raceme.—About 100.         -   Inflorescence.—Grows to 25 cm long and 5 cm wide.         -   Peduncle description.—Grows to 35 cm long and 7 mm wide,             glabrous to glaucous, Yellow Green 146C.         -   Pedicle description.—2.5 mm long, glabrous, Greyed Orange             177D.         -   Bloom time.—Late June through September in Canby, Oreg.         -   Lastingness.—An inflorescence lasts for 2 to 4 weeks             depending on the temperatures. -   Flower Bud:     -   -   Size.—26 mm long and 5 mm wide.         -   Shape.—Cylindrical.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Orange Red N34C. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Actinomorphic.         -   Shape.—Cylindrical and tubular.         -   Size.—Grows to 4 cm deep and 12 mm wide.         -   Texture.—Waxy.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous inside and outside.         -   Color.—Outside, Orange Red N34C, inside Red 35A with veins             Orange Red N34A.         -   Corolla description.—6 lobed fused tepals, 27 mm long and 12             mm wide, each lobe 3 mm to 3.5 mm wide and 5 mm long, ovate             to oblong, margin entire, tip notched; glabrous inside and             out.         -   Pistil description.—One extruding, 33 mm long, ovary 3 mm             long 1.8 mm wide, Yellow Green 144A, style 30 mm long, Red             36D, stigma White 155A.         -   Stamen.—6, 34 mm long, filaments 33 mm long, and Yellow 4D,             anthers 1.5 mm long and Yellow 13A, pollen Yellow 4B.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Fruit and seed: None seen. -   Pest and diseases: No known resistances to pests or diseases. No     problems have been observed on this plant grown under commercial     conditions in Canby, Oreg. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Kniphofia plant as herein shown and described. 